Looking back....

As I posted week after week I noticed a kind of metamorphosis taking place.  My thought process was changing, my ideas were becoming more focused and my main goal was becoming clearer.  When I started this blog I only knew the general direction I wished to follow with my topics, but I did not know exactly how to guide my blog in that direction.  However, as my knowledge grew I found it easier to pin point topics that were critical to my issue and show them in such a way that my thoughts would clearly be seen by my readers.  In the beginning of this project I had a “loose” knowledge of the subject.  I knew about problems and issues but not in the in-depth fashion that I know now.  This blog helped refine my awareness and knowledge of the situations faced by Muslim Americans. 

My beginning posts were more or less aimed at involving my readers with my topic.  I did not particularly know which direction my blog was headed, so in the midst of researching I decided it would be great to involve the readers in my topic early.  In my earlier posts I tried to distance people from the issue early, with rhetorical devices, so that they could be suddenly immersed in the topic later.  I hoped that this would help the reader appreciate my points and lead to a critical evaluation of the issue.

As my blog progressed I began to find the basic direction of my posts and I began posting more direct issues.  Previous posts had mostly been personal experiences but these posts were issues of national importance; things that had attained enough merit to be shown on top broadcasting stations.  This is where I feel the bulk of my influential power is held.  In a sense my early posts help you to realize where you stand prior to having knowledge on the subject, then these other posts inform you of the facts and aid in a more informed decision.  The addition of these posts helped not only my credibility with my readers, but they help validate my topic.  These posts show that my issue is of national importance and many others have embarked down this same path.

Finally the evolution of my blog was not complete until I had more information on the opposing sides.  To every aspect of this topic there is an equal opposite .  As my blog progressed this became more apparent, and I began showing more of the other side, expressing their opinions and their thoughts.  By doing this I feel as though I have gained credibility with readers because I am not withholding information.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion and everyone has one so inevitably there will be differences.  In this blog it was imperative to represent both sides of the argument; otherwise I would run the risk of becoming like the media by only showing one side to evoke a desired response.

Blogs that I have found particularly intersting

If you have not checked these blogs out its not too late!

the black truth about black gold

I was interested in this blog because of the different development of issues.  I found that this blog took problems that America faced, talked about them, and related them to other countries around the world.  Numerous times I was gravely reminded that problems that we face here are almost routine occurrences to other countries.  My reaction to some of the posts is an instant interest in the issue since it pertains to my home, but then I begin to empathize with the various other nations that have the problems.  Our problems gain much more media attention while theirs are brushed off to the side and downgraded.  In a sense by reading this blog I was brought out of a safety bubble and placed into the real world.  This blog helped open my eyes to issues everywhere.

 

Minorities in Education

I found this blog particularly interesting to read because of the blogging topics.  Most of the blogs posted on this website I could directly relate to and place myself in the scenario.  This connection with the entries led me to be more involved in my thoughts and responses.  This blog enabled me to reflect on the education I received in grade school and the other factors that contributed to my success as a person.  I feel as though no two educational backgrounds are alike so this blog helped to create an area of discussion that is unique to everyone.  This blog evoked personal responses and feelings that led me to have a sort of depth within my answers that was special

America was in a recession, but then they got high

Any blog that affects you in my opinion is a good blog.  I enjoyed following this blog because I feel as if it has directly impacted me.  Prior to this blog I had a firm opinion that marijuana should not be legal under any circumstance, but after following the posts I find myself split in my decision.  Prior to reading this blog I had many debates with multiple friends on the issue and numerous times we have dropped the subject because of the futility of our attempts to change one another’s mind.  The evidence shown is clear, concise, and convincing which all appeals to my needs for persuasion.  I read the posts and cannot stop wondering what would happen if marijuana was legal, although there is no definitive answer, this blog has me believing that everything would be ok.

a few things i found useful

These are some of the links that I found useful while researching about Muslim Americans.  These links represent various views from different sources, all of which helped me compile my blogs. 

The Muslim American Society  - This is a website that strives to inform the public and change future societies.

 The American Muslim- This website leads to the Homepage of the American Muslim Association which strives to promote peace and equality for Muslim Americans.  I found this website useful since it represents a strong pacifist style contrary to the extremist style portrayed by the media.

 http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/09/eleven_islam.html  - This was a general link I used just to inform readers about Islam.  Part of the problem with our society is that we do not know enough about the culture and believe various sources that are not always true.  This link was meant to help people make informed decisions

http://hubpages.com/hub/Misconceptions-about-Islam-Terrorism - I used this link to help inform people of the misconceptions that are associated with Muslim Americans.  It’s in order for our society to progress, it is necessary to understand and caste aside the misconceptions that haunt Muslim Americans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAbvukM31C8&feature=player_embedded  I particularly liked this video.  It demonstrates the benevolence that comes with Islam instead of the malignant nature that is often portrayed by the media.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-12-arab-americans-cover_x.htm  this article helped reinforces the concept that the fear our society holds towards Muslim Americans is a problem.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=119380#axzz11mYjxeM4  many people may have forgotten that Muslim Americans weren’t recently created.  They are a culture that’s been with America for decades however the recent events have defamed most of them.  This link talks about how our society acts as if Muslim Americans have just recently been created.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/business/24muslim.html?_r=2  for those of you who feel as if the problems faced by Muslim Americans are limited to social interactions, this link shows how Muslim discrimination can reach as far as the work place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWuKYObyF5c  this link represented both sides of the argument well.  In this YouTube video we saw how Muslims were discriminated and how they were accepted.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41112.html  this article particularly shows Newt Gringrich, who is opposed to the new mosque, comparing the Mosques construction to Nazism.  This article greatly helped me by showing how the argument is develop from the other side.